I love Sundays!!

I love Sundays, for so many reasons,

1) I don't have to work.

2) We go to church as a family.

3) I get to relax.

4) We spend the day as a family

These reasons are why I look forward to Sunday all week.

This Sunday was wonderful. We took it easy, I especially did, I am still trying to get over some really nasty flu/cold/strep/sinus thing. So, Toby, Kiley, and Braedon headed off to church while Chase and I stayed home. Chase took a nice long nap and I lounged on the couch and watched "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," really good movie.

When the rest of my family came home we all got in our "comfy" clothes and took naps. I LOVE NAPS!

After we woke up, Toby

got the turkey fryer out and prepared the turkey.

Braedon was so excited about it, he spent the whole time outside with Daddy while it was going. He was definitely the supervisor and messenger all in one. He would tell his dad how it was looking and then come in the house and relay the message to me.

During the turkey frying, Kiley was preparing the sweet potatoes and the stuffing. She is becoming quite the little cook and I love that she can help now. She loves it and so do I! While this was all going on, I was playing with the baby. He, however, had quite a rough day. While he was coming to give me a hug, he tripped and went face first into the coffee table and put his tooth through his lip. This may have caused most babies to cry for some time, he whimpered for about a minute, if that. He was then back on the go again. Within another 30 minutes, he fell again, this time reaching for his dad and cracked open his chin. That bled for a while but was pretty superficial. In about 5 more minutes, he busted his top lip on the remote, by swinging it around. He is a mess, not to mention the plant

that he pulled down on top of himself about an hour before all of this began. You forget how accident prone they tend to be when they first start walking. He was definitely keeping us all on our toes as well as making us laugh. He is a mess for sure!!

Check out those lips!!

After this experience, we decided it was best to move him as far away from the coffee table as possible, so we moved him by his toys, which happen to be close to our door. He decided to head outside.

This is where we found a plastic bottle under Toby's patrol car, this entertained him for quite a while. This was great news, as he wasn't hurting himself anymore. HAHA!! Eventually he decided to head over and help out Dad and Braedon with the turkey.

During this time, I got to spend some time with my sweet girl. We messed around in the living room and visited. Thank goodness for my little girl, otherwise I would be totally outnumbered in my home of "boys."

I am so blessed to have such a good girl. We talked about what she learned in church and her friends in school. She is

growing up so fast, I can hardly keep up with the kid. Yesterday she was born and today she is telling me about the boy that likes her, although she got very embarrassed about that and told me not to tell her dad.

What am I going to do??

I love watching her grow up into the girl that she is but I just wish I could slow it down a little bit!

Thank goodness for Sunday family time!

Finally, our turkey was done and Chef Toby was ready to show off his bird. I have to admit, it looked wonderful and

Braedon was mighty proud of it himself.

Daddy started to carve the bird and the rest of us snagged pieces off as he was doing it. It was juicy and delicious.

At that time, Kiley pulled her sweet potatoes out of the oven, as well as her stuffing. We put it all together and it made a wonderful dinner. Chase ate so much I thought he was going to be sick. Normally he isn't the biggest meat eater but he was doing pretty well on that turkey. I guess that

Thanksgiving will be a lot of fun this year.

After dinner, we cleaned up the kitchen and then got the kids ready for bed. It was such a nice and relaxing day. It is hard to say goodbye to Sunday's. Knowing that the next day is the beginning of another hectic, busy week. But I feel like I am lucky enough to have the family that I do and know that Sunday is only a few more days away and we will get to do this all over again. Till next Sunday....

Family Time

Yesterday was a wonderful day!!

Toby was the first to "rise" this morning (which is NEVER the case, he is always last out of bed on any given day!) and went wood cutting with his dad. This is our final load, I think!

We have gone out every weekend for the last four weeks and I think that is enough.

While Toby was out wood cutting, Braedon,

Chase and I went to Kiley's friend's house to pick her up (she had stayed the night and went to the football game the night before). We spent a little time over there and then headed off to the grocery store to pick up TONS of groceries. We were in desperate need of produce and pretty much every thing else. Thank heavens for payday!!

When we got home, Toby was home and we all put the groceries away. After that we headed off to the "Run to the Pines" carshow. On our way up we decided that we all needed Frosty's from Wendy's. They were delicious! It's been a while.

Of course Braedon and Chase managed to get it every

where, even in places I am still question

ing how it made it's way there?!

Once we got to the car show we made bets on how many people we would see that we knew. I, of course won. As soon as we got there, we saw Jared and his friends, along with many others. We walked around and looked at all the cars, Braedon was so excited that he got to look inside the cars rather than just the outside. He was just as excited about the cars as his dad.

Toby wanted to explain to all of (just like he does every year, HAHA) about how to

tell the difference from one year to another. He tells us all about them all, until he gets to his '66 Chevelle Super

sports, then he tunes out every one us out and stares at every detail on the car.

After about an hour and a half, the kids started getting a little whiny and miserable due to the heat. Chase was a little better after we let him walk around but since he is still pretty new at walking, he wasn't making much headway, he was

walking in a lot of circles!

When we were done looking at the cars, we started our trek back to the car. Once the car was in sight Kiley and I decided to race,

let's just say I smoked her! She said I cheated but I'm not sure how?!

On our way back home the kids and Toby were pretty hot and a tad cranky. I decided they all needed to chill out and cool off, so I took a bottle of water and poured it down Toby's shirt and doused the kids in the back. They loved it even though they acted grouchy about it.

Once we got home, Kiley and I started our lasagna. I told her I would teach her how to make it. It is my favorite but takes roughly 3-3 1/2 hours to make, but it is totally worth it. We started out with our onions, garlic, and herbs and started to saute those. After that we added our

tomatoes and red wine, that has to simmer for about and hour and a half. While we were cooking the sauce, Kiley browned the spice Italian sausage and I started the Tiramisu (White Tiramisu with Strawberries and White Chocolate).

After the sauce was cooked, we added the sausage and made the Ricotta/Spinach mixture.

Then Kiley began layering while I finished up the Tiramisu. It looked wonderful, she did a great job! We put the lasagna in the oven and the Tiramisu in the fridge to chill. After an hour and a half the lasagna was ready to come out and set up. At this point, Kiley put her garlic bread in the oven and started dishes and Braedon made

salads. He was so proud of them!

The whole dinner turned out great and looked beautiful. Kiley and Brady were so proud of their food. It was a really fun thing to watch! After dinner, Dad cleaned up the kitchen and I put the boys in the bath. Kiley took her shower and we were all in our pj's. We then sat down and

boys in the bath. Kiley took her shower and we were all in our watched America's Funniest Home videos and Chase entertained us with his "dancing" to the theme song. After the kids went to bed Toby and I sat up and watched "I love you, Man!" It was pretty hilarious!

It was a wonderful day with my little family!

I cherish these times because before too long my kids won't be so little and their friends will become the highlight of their lives. I am so grateful for my husband and my children and the happiness they bring into my life everyday. I am so content with my life just the way it is. I can't imagine any other life than this and I am so happy that this one is mine!

Kiley's Lasagna:

My Tiramisu:

Braedon's Salads:

The Path

There are reasons that all of us are who we are today. There are turns of events in our lives that make us take paths we may or may not have traveled. Whether or not we like where this path takes us is up to us. We are ultimately responsible for our own future and the quality of it.

I have had many examples of this in my life. I have had to make difficult choices and traveled paths I was very unsure of. However difficult they may have been, they have all lead me to a wonderful place now. I am blessed with beautiful children, a loving husband, a steady, successful career, and amazing friends and family that have always supported me.

As I reflect on the people who's support has been the most steady and consistent, I think of one person in particular.

This person is my best friend...

the one who will call me out on my "bad" behavior...

the one who knows more about me than anyone else...

and the one who is more like me than anyone else I know, or should I say I am more like this person.

I am blessed to get the opportunity to talk to this person usually on a daily basis and share my concerns with raising my family, the happy things in my life, and getting an account of their day. I don't know how I would make it in this world without this person, I wouldn't be the same with out being in this persons life.

Every value and moral that I know to be true

Every "Type A" personality trait I have

Every ounce of passion I have for life I have learned to love from this person.

SHE is the most amazing woman I know and holds the most special place in my heart and my life. I think of her role in my everyday life and the utmost importance it plays. She gives me hope and strength to be a better mother and wife.

Everything I have been taught to do started with this amazing woman, she has been there with me through it all. She has walked my winding path all the way from the beginning with me, holding my hand every step of the way. I am so grateful for this amazing person and I hope there isn't a day that goes by that she doesn't know how much I love her.

To my beautiful mother... I love you and would not be the same without you! You are the mother I hope to be to my own children. I hope on

e day they look at me and feel this way about me. When I think of you I thin

k of all the times in my life that you held me while I cried in your arms and

all the laughs we have shared together. You

are and always will be my best friend. Thank you for all that you have taught me and continue to teach me daily. I love you!

Two Very Special Guys...

Last weekend I was so lucky to get to spend the weekend with two of my favorite guys in the whole world, my husband and my little "big" brother. We flew out to Washington State together and then we were able to spend all day Friday with just the three of us. While many have said, "Wow, you are so lucky" in a very sarcastic tone considering I was the only girl, it was a wonderful trip.

These two guys made me laugh so many times and so hard that my stomach hurt. We had the best day on Friday. We started out driving around our old stomping grounds. I have been up within the last 3 years so I was refreshing my brothers memory and sharing these memories with my husband for the first time.

After visiting the stomping grounds, we went to lunch at an amazing brewery and ate the best Fish N Chips ever. It was so good. Then we were off to the Bonneville Fish Hatchery and Multnomah Falls in Oregon. Jared was so excited to see the fish! I guess boys never really outgrow the love of seeing the BIGGEST fish.

While walking around the hatchery, Jared and Toby tried to outdo each other on who could embarrass the other the most. I think in turn, I was the one who got to be the most embarrassed, just take a look at how "Special" they are. I only wanted a nice picture of the two of them, this wasn't exactly what I was shooting for!

We then walked over to the Fish ladders and were watching the fish, this was when Toby told Jared that he would pay him $100 just to jump in with the fish. They both thought it was hilarious but that it was a bad idea considering Jared would be using the $100 plus much more to bail himself out of jail and pay fines.

After the fish ladders we went down to the dam to see it. Jared made a comment that the water was very "rapidy" and then realized immediately that that was not a word and

was a mistake that he would be paying for all day. Toby then started to make all words end with the "y" sound. They are a mess for sure. Then Toby filmed the dam and made a few really dumb jokes about it being the "damn dam" and how "rapidy the water looked." Jared was amuzed as well as the rest of us. Oh, the things that entertain us!

After we were done looking at the dam we were going back to the parking lot and rather than walking around this huge embankment we decided to race up it. Well, this is a pretty steep embankment but I beat them all, but once we hit the parking lot, Jared had me beat. He cheated though, he used his extremely long stride to win. I can't compete with 6 foot 6 inches of person!! It just wasn't fair odds!

We were leaving the hatchery and security had to put us through, Toby and the security guard began talking about Police Work forever so Jared and I made fun of him and his "Badge Heaviness" all the way to Multnomah Falls. This was hilarious! It was fun to be the ones picking on him once in a while because we all know Toby is the worlds worst.

At Multnomah Falls, it started to rain and Jared was taking pictures of everything, around every corner so it was freezing by the time we reached the top. When we finally go there, two

two people were practically having a photo shoot near the bridge. The girl kept telling the ridiculously posed guy to "look to the left and don't smile, pretend you don't care." We started to laugh hysterically and Toby made the comment about it being some kind of Abercrombie shoot. So, when it became time to take Jared's picture at the falls, Toby was ridiculous. He kept telling Jared (very loud I might add) to "Look Mad, Look Mad" and we couldn't keep straight faces. The people around us were laughing hysterically as well, so Jared's mad picture turned out to look so funny. But we have to give him credit for trying!

After leaving the falls we drove back to John and Mel's house and were able to spend the evening with some of our best friends in the world. Amber and Amanda. We have some history

that goes way back and we were able to reminisce and visit a lot. Amanda chose to make fun of Toby and Jared for the picture they took at Bonneville and they made their own personal shot of it. It was a classic. We sat around and visited with John, Melanie, Amanda, Amber, Uncle Scott, Nora, Debbie, Austin, and the three of us. It was a fun filled evening of tears, laughter, and lots of sarcasm. Our family would not be the same without it.

The next morning we got up to the smell of biscuits and gravy and bacon. Melanie is a good cook and she made a heap of food for the big day. We ate and shared laughter as well as more tears. We then went up on the mountain to the spot that John had picked out to spread my dad's ashes, it was breathtakingly beautiful. Thank you John for being so thoughtful! While we

all shed tears for our loss, we also shared funny stories and good memories and even had a few laughs. I cannot think of better people to share this experience with.

It was then that my "sweet" husband had my brother laughing, which he needed at the moment. He told him that the incline on the hill was very "steepery." It was hilarious and we all shared a laugh, considering they were all in on it too because we shared the funny story the night before.

We went back to the house after this and enjoyed a wonderful meal and time with together before my Grandparents went back to Oregon and Amanda and Amber drove back up to Seattle. We took some classic shots to mimic our "grown up" version of the four little kids that were inseparable. It was a bittersweet goodbye to them. I know we keep in contact so much better now but it is always hard to say goodbye to the two

girls that don't really count as best friends, they are more like sisters in a family.

After our goodbye, we were able to spend the evening with John and Mel and of course, the three of us. Jared and Toby were fascinated with Melanie's parrot, Ollie and I think they wanted to touch it but were scared (rightfully so, it would have bitten them). However, they would walk by it and it would do a weird hissing sound and throw up his wings, they thought it was so funny, I think it would have been funnier if the bird actually snagged one of them for messing with him.

We had a quite evening and watched a little t.v. after going back up to the spot where we spread dad's ashes, just one more goodbye before our departure the next morning. During the trip, John told stories that were so funny none of us stopped laughing for about an hour.

Good ole' John, you can always count on him for a good laugh and a good time.

The next morning we got ready and started on our hour drive to Portland to board the plane. Mel and I were pretty quiet, I think we were both dreading the end of the trip, but the guys kept visiting and telling stories. It was nice to have the guys. I sat in between my brother and my husband the whole way to the airport. They were squishing me but they were still a comfort to me. I love those two. They are the best support and I love them so much. They made a time that could have been harder, fun. We enjoyed ourselves and had some real quality time together.

As we said our tearful goodbye and promised to visit soon, Toby and Jared got our luggage and we headed into the familiar airport.

we sat in the airport, we had a great time of laughing about certain styles of people (such as socks and wedge heel flip flops) not the best look.

When we boarded the plane, we were all in seperate rows but managed to talk the other people into switching so we all ended up together. Before boarding the plane, I bought a word find book and ended up getting less time with it than the guys. Then there was competition between the two of them as to who could find more the quickest or who circled them better. They really are something else.

But as I looked at my brother and my husband I thought of how lucky I am to have these two special guys in my life. They know how to make me laugh when I am down and can relate

better to me than any other guys in the world. I am so lucky to have them as a part of my life. I am grateful for this trip so that I was able to have this quality time with both of them.

They are amazing men and I am so blessed to have them as a part of my family. I can't think of better people to have spent this time with.

Thanks guys! It was an amazing trip and I am so glad that I got to spend it with both of you.

A Final Resting Place

So, last weekend we went to Washing-

ton State to put my dad to rest, finally. I feel confident that he will be happy with his resting spot, knowing that his children, parents, brother, and friends were there to send him off. We owe so much to these people (especially the Kercmar Family) for their love and support.

I hope my dad knows how much we love him and will forever miss his presence in our lives. I will miss the occasional phone calls we shared once in a while and the visits ever so often. I will miss my dad!

As we were having my dad's service, I began reflecting on the moments in my life that my dad was a part of. I remember the good and the bad, but choose to focus on all the good. During his services, my grandpa mentioned that his years in Appleton (where we lived) were the best years of his life. I have so many memories there that I count as some of the best in mine as well, who knows, some of them could have been shared by both my dad and me. My grandpa mentioned the day I was born and how proud my dad was. I can now say, after many moments and hours of reflection, I too, was proud to be his daughter.

I am so grateful to have my memories of my dad that I get to carry with me throughout the rest of my life.

I had a conver-

sation with a friend recently that I will be forever grateful to have had. She lost a parent in much the same way I lost my dad. We both lost our parents many years before their actual passing.

I lost my dad to alcohol many years ago, unfortunately, he was never able to catch his demons and pull himself out of his bottle, but the love I had for my father never changed . I realize now that I have gone through the grieving process twice for my dad. Once, 16 years ago when my parents divorced and we moved from Washington to Arizona. I didn't get to physically see my dad again from the time I was almost 10 until my 13th birthday. It was so hard to go without someone I cared about for so long, especially when I was so used to seeing him so regularly. I eventually became content with only phone calls. After that it was another 3 years before I saw him and that was only for a week.

I missed my dad and was very resentful of the fact that he wasn't around more. I didn't understand how if he loved me he could go so long without seeing me, especially when he always told me how much he loved me on the phone. It was very confusing to me. I finally, after marriage was able to reconnect with my dad and we had a great relationship for many years before I lost him and had to grieve him all over again.

I under-

stand the reason for my grief now, as I didn't under-

stand how I could take his death so hard when I hardly ever saw my dad. I realize that it is the "hope" I lost this time. I guess in all the years that my dad and I maintained a relationship, I always envisioned this wonderful day when my dad would call me and tell me that he had quit drinking and that he was moving down here. That he wanted to be a better father and a grandfather to my children. I had the hope in the back of my mind that someday he would overcome his drinking and live up to the potential that we all knew he had. I am broken hearted that I never had my hopes fulfilled and that he never beat it.

While this saddens me, I am grateful to have been able to know such an intelligent and wonderful person. I wish more people could have known the "Steve" I knew. He was amazing if given the chance to be. I will never forget the way he made me feel when I was a little girl and all the times his hug could cure anything. I was comfortable and content being with my "daddy" and spending time with him.

As we laid my dad to rest, I thought of all the things we would be without now. His laugh, it was contag-

ious! His humor, while sometimes crude, he had a funny side to him. His smile, I am told I have it myself. And his love, while sometimes strained I know my dad loved me. But I also thought of the things his death gave him...Peace, Closure to something so much bigger than himself, and Comfort. I know he is in a wonderful place now and someday I will be able to see my dad again and tell him how much I love him.

As I sprinkled my dad's ashes in the most beautiful place in the world, I told him goodbye and made sure he knew I loved him. I think he heard me because I was at peace with laying him to rest. I love you dad....until we meet again, rest in peace and know that you were loved dearly by many! Enjoy your final resting place.